Thera 6.6: Sappadasa
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(215):Sappadasa Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter VI. Six Verses =215. Sappadāsa= Reborn in this Buddha-age at Kapilavatthu as the son of the King1 Suddhodana's priest, he was named Sappadāsa. He received faith on the occasion of the Lord(Buddha)'s visit to his own people,2 and entered the Monk’s order. Overmastered by corrupt habits of mind and character (the kilesa's), he never got concentration and singleness of mind. This finally distressed him so much that he was about to commit suicide, when, the inward vision suddenly expanding, he attained arahantship(enlightenment). Confessing aññā(supreme attainment) he said: ---- 405 Paṇṇavīsati vassāni yato pabbajito ahaɱ,|| Accharāsaŋghātamattampi cetosantimanajjhagaɱ.|| || 406 Aladdhā cittassekaggaɱ kāmarāgena addito,|| Bāhā paggayha kandanto vihārā upanikkhamiɱ.|| || 407 Satthaɱ vā āharissāmi ko attho jīvitena me,|| Kathaɱ hi sikkhaɱ paccakkhaɱ kālaɱ kubbetha mādiso.|| || 408 Tadāhaɱ khuramādāya mañcakamhi upāvisiɱ,|| Parinīto khuro āsi dhamaniɱ chettumattano.|| || 409 Tato me manasikāro yoniso udapajjatha,|| Ādīnavo pāturahu nibbidā samatiṭṭhatha.|| || 410 Tato cittaɱ vimucci me passa dhammasudhammataɱ,|| Tisso vijjā anuppattā kataɱ buddhassa sāsanan' ti.|| || ---- 405 Full five and twenty years have passed since I Had left the world(for monkhood) and in the Monk’s order lived, And yet not for one fingersnap of time Had I found peace sanity[3] of mind. 406 Intent and single vision never I won, Distraught and harassed by desires of sense; In tears, wringing my hands, I left the lodge.4 407 no now I'll take a knife or else - For what Is life to me? And how can such as I, Who by my life the training have denied, Do better than set term to it and die? 408 So then I came and with a razor sat me down Upon my couch. And now the blade was drawn Across my throat to cut the artery. ... 409 215 When lo! in me arose the deeper thought: Attention to the fact and to the cause. The misery of it all was manifest; Distaste, indifference the mind possessed, 410 And so my heart was set at liberty! O see the seemly monk’s order of the Path(Dhamma)! The Threefold Wisdom have I made my own, And all the Buddha remains us do is done.5 ---- 1 Distinguished by the Commentary as mahārāja. 2 See CXXXIX. 3 Cetaso samādānaŋ. Comy. 4 Comy.: anupanikkhamiŋ, bahi nikkhanto. 5 = verses 269 f. Cf. CXV., CCV. ---- =6.6 215 Commentary on the stanza of Sappadāsatthera= The stanza starting with Paṇṇavīsati constitutes that of the venerable thera Sappadāsa. What is the origin? This one also having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating good deeds conducive towards escape from rounds of repeated rebirths (vaṭṭa) in this and that existence, was reborn as the son of the private chaplain (purohita) of the great king Suddhodana in Kapilavatthu when this Buddha arose; his name was Suppadāsa. On having come of age, he aptly gained pious faith at the coming together of the relatives of the Master, became a monk, and not gaining concentration (samādhi) of mind (ceto) because of being overcome by depravity (kilesa), led the life (caritvā) of chastity (brahmacariya), became remorseful, and later stabbing himself (sattham āharanto) developed his mindfulness wisely (yoniso), attained Arahantship and spoke these stanzas revealing his Arahantship (aññā):– 405. “It has now been twentyfive years since I became a monk; I did not achieve (ajjhagaṃ) mental tranquility (cetosantiṃ) even to the extent of the snapping of my fingers (accharāsanghāta). 406. “Not having gained one-pointedness of mind, I was oppressed (aṭṭito) by the lust (rāga) for sensual pleasures (kāma); weeping with my arms raised, I came out of my monastery. 407. “I would rather stab myself (satthaṃ vā āharissāmi); what is the use (attho) of my being alive. Indeed, how does a monk like me meet his death (kāḷam kubbetha) abandoning my moral precepts of monkhood? 408. “I then took hold of a razor and got on to my couch; the razor was there brought ready to cut my own veins. 409. “Thereafter there arose my wise (yoniso) mindfulness; disadvantage became evident and disgust (nibbidā) stood out well (samatiṭṭhatha). 410. “Subsequently, my mind became emancipated. See the good nature (sudhammatā) of truth (dhamma); threefold knowledge (vijjā) had been duly achieved; Buddha’s in- struction had been carried out. There, paṇṇavisativassāni, yato pabbajito ahaṃ means: they are these twenty five years beginning from the time I became a monk. Accharāsaṅghātamattampi, cetosantīmanajjhagaṃ means: I did not gain concentration (samādhānaṃ) of mind and mental tranquility even to the extent of the time taken by the snapping of fingers as I kept on leading the holy life (brahmacariyaṃ caranto) for this much length of time. Because of not having gained the one-pointedness of mind, however, in this manner, he said the stanza starting with “Kāmarāgeneaṭṭito,” stating the cause (kāraṇaṃ) there. There attito means: having been oppressed and overwhelmed; thus, is the meaning. Bāhā paggayha kandanto means: having held up my arms I kept weeping with my face upwards thus: “Here, this extremely unbefitting thing happens; when I am not able to pull myself out of the swampy soil (paṅka) of depravity (kilesa) after having become a monk in the dispensation (sāsane) which provides the way of escape from rounds of repeated rebirths (niyyānike).” Vihārā upanikkhamiṃ means: I went outside from my residential monastery. In order to show that significance by which he went outside his monastery, he said the stanza starting with “Satthaṃ vā āharissāmi.” There satthaṃ vā āharissāmi means: the expression vā is in the sense of indecision (vikappana). By means of that word he brings together (saṅgaṇhāti) the ranners (pakāra) of death, according to such statements as: “Rukkhā vā papatissāmi, ubbandhitvā vā marissāmi, (either I shall fall myself down from a tree-top, or I shall die after hanging myself (ubbandhati). Sikkhaṃ means discipline of higher moral precepts (adhisīla). Paccakkhaṃ means: rejecting (paccācikkhanto), giving up all round (pariccājanto). There is such a text (Pāḷi) also as “Paccakkhā,” after having given up (paccakkhāya); thus, is the meaning. Kālaṃ means: death; indeed, how would a monk like me cause my death without relinquishing my monkhood morals (sikkhāpaccakkhānena); thus, is the meaning. Indeed, relinquishment of moral precepts (sikkhā) is known as death in the discipline (vinaye) of the noble (ariya). Accordingly the Blessed One said thus: “Maraṇaṃh” ataṃ bhikkhave yo sikkhaṃ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattati (O monks! Indeed, this is death as and when a monk returns to low life (hīnāya āvattati) after having relinquished his moral precepts of monkhood).” In the reading: “Sikkhaṃ paccakkhā,” however, how would a monk like me die, indeed, after having relinquished the moral precepts of monkhood? I would die, however, after having been but endowed with moral precepts of monkhood; therefore, I might, perhaps, stab myself; what is the benefit of my being alive; thus, is the interpretation. Tadā ‘haṃ means: when I was getting disgusted (nibbindanto) ober my life owing to the condition of not being capable of doing a monk on account of having, been overcome (abhibhava) by depravity (kilesa), then. Khuraṃ means: sharp razor or a weapon resembling a razor. Mañcakamhi upāvisiṃ means: sat down on my couch after having entered my inner chamber (ovaraka) for fear of other monks’ hindrance (nivāraṇa). Parinito means: brought near (upanīto); having placed at (my) throat (gala); thus, is the significance. Dhamaniṃ means: they say “Yaṇṭhe dhamanim, kaṇṭhadhamaniṃ galavalaya (the vein at the throat, throat vein, round (valaya) the throat (gala). Chettuṃ means: to cut. Tato me manasikāro, yoniso upapajjatha means: I placed the razor at my throat in order to cut its vein saying “When I shall die:” subsequent to it, later, there arose zest (pīti) on having seen my moral precepts to have been all round pure, without being broken (akkhaṇḍa) or torn (acchiddaṇ) when I reflected upon the same thus; “Indeed! Is my moral precept (sīla) healthy; the body of my zestful mind became calm down; there arose wise (yoniso) mindfulness, under the influence (vasa) of spiritual insight (vipassanā) because of the condition of concentration (samāhita) of my mind, while I kept on enjoying my disinterested (nirāmisa) bliss of my calmly cool body (passaddhakāya). In other words, tato means when the razor was placed (upanaya) at my throat and when the sore (vaṇa) sprang sensation (vedanaṃ) that has arisen; now, in order to show reflecting upon (paccavekkhaṇa) the right path (magga) and “Ādinavo pāturahu (disadvantage became evident)” and so on. Its meaning has but been said before (heṭṭhā). The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Sappadāsa is complete. ----